PDF417 is a stacked, two-dimensional barcode used on many North American driver’s licenses and ID cards to encode machine-readable identity data. It can store more information than a simple linear barcode, including fields such as name, date of birth, address, document number, and issuing authority, depending on the card format.
In cyber security, PDF417 matters because identity-verification systems often scan it to automate onboarding, age checks, and fraud detection. If an attacker steals license images or extracts barcode data, that information can be reused to impersonate victims, bypass weak checks, or combine with other leaks for account takeover. Defenders reduce risk by limiting retention of scans, encrypting stored images, restricting access, and validating the barcode only within tightly controlled proofing workflows.